Day 3 of Prompt Party 2019.
Prompt 128. Lion King AU: While hunting far to find food, Robin reunites with Regina, his childhood friend and betrothed, after years of thinking her dead when her father, the King, was mysteriously killed.
A/N: Obviously they're human in this, not lions, lol. Also, I gave this one a bit of a twist by flipping Robin and Regina's roles. Hope you enjoy it.
He hasn't been this far north in a while. Not since he was a child, probably, when his mother would bring him on adventures and show him the ways of the forest.
He spares a thought for her now, missing her deeply. It's been years. So many years since that fateful day when she'd lost her life trying to save King Henry. Robin lost two people that day: his mother, and his best friend, Regina Mills.
Regina was the King's daughter, heir to the throne and an absolute wonder to behold. Beautiful, strong and clever, a true leader, educated by her father in politics and warfare so she would be ready to rule when the time came. But when the King died, she'd vanished, leaving no trace, no clue Robin could follow to find her.
They'd grown up together, best friends turned lovers as they got older, their fathers striking up a betrothal that they'd protested on principle, but had been secretly glad for. Robin's nights were always full of adventure with her, a new hidden destination to be found every time they escaped the palace together, new ruins in the woods, new lakes and waterfalls they could tour together...
But all that is gone, and his years since then have been grim. They have been for the entire kingdom. Queen Cora, who took her late husband's mantle as ruler of the Enchanted Forest, is not exactly the best choice to wield such of power. She has depleted the kingdom's resources, established a new and violent rule of law that enables her to torture the people, should she think them enemies, and murder those who are found guilty.
Food has become scarce, famine ripping through the land as many struggle to survive the queen's whims, too afraid to rebel, lest they or their families end up killed, as so many already have.
A rustle in the bushes just ahead brings him back to alertness, his eyes scouting the surrounding wilderness in search for the source of that promising sound. He hears it again, just up ahead, sees the leaves moving, and his mouth waters. Whatever animal is out there, it's big, and Robin hasn't eaten a proper meal in days.
His senses sharpen, for he knows the responsibility that rests upon his shoulders. There are people starving back home, and this beast, if it truly is the size it seems to be, will be good enough to feed his small village for a week.
Another rustling sound shows him the movement of the creature, and Robin quietly notches his arrow onto his bow, both eyes open and scanning the leaves, watching them move as the animal walks through them. He still can't see what kind of beast it is, but that's good, it seems the animal hasn't noticed danger yet.
He draws the arrow back, exhaling softly as the tail of it touches his lip, the small owl feathers tickling his cheek as he measures the distance. The animal has gone still now, a shadow in between the bushes, so still it's as if it's waiting for Robin to release that arrow.
And release he does.
He'd been prepared for the wails of the beast, the agonizing growl of a dying animal as it tried to charge its unseen attacker, but that's not what he hears. Instead, he hears a scream, followed by a loud stream of curses and the howl of a man as he voices his pain.
But that can't be. There's no one out here. No one. Queen Cora had seen to that.
Robin runs towards the sounds, blood pumping and thud-thud-thudding in his ear as he moves through the bushes, until he comes upon a clearing he had somehow missed during his trek through the forest, meadowlarks singing and the sun shining on fresh yellow dandelion flowers.
A burly man with long hair stomps over the grass, yelling and cursing still, Robin's arrow having found its way into the left side of his arse.
Oops.
"What the hell were you thinking, man?!" he bellows at Robin, who is staring at him in disbelief. But Robin is suspicious, because there shouldn't be people roaming these parts. Something isn't right here.
He arms his bow once again, drawing back the arrow in preparation as he questions, "Who are you?"
"Are you fucking kidding me?! Put that down!" the man yells back, still yelping at the pain of the arrowhead buried in his buttcheek.
But this man doesn't belong here, and whoever he is, if he's here for game, Robin won't let him get it. People are depending on him.
"Survival of the fittest," he murmurs to himself, getting ready to fire. And then, even as the stranger yells a million curses back at him and tells him to Stop pointing that blasted thing at him, Robin hears the distinct creak of a rope stretching behind him, feels the slight puff of air as a second bow is drawn back and aimed at his head.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," says a woman's voice. Slightly raspy and deliciously deep, and Robin gasps, his own weapon falling to the forest floor.
He'd know that voice anywhere.
The man's cursing and yelping fades away, his ears deaf to all sound except the frantic beating of his heart and the fresh hint of recognition coloring her tone when he turns around to greet her.
"Robin?" she whispers, lowering her bow, and he takes a moment then to look at her. Her hair is longer than he remembers, a messy braid cascading down one side of her face and past her shoulder, the few tendrils of unruly hair he always loved on her still framing the sun-kissed smoothness of her cheeks.
"Regina? Is it really you?" he asks, unashamed of the way his voice breaks.
"What are you doing here?" she questions, her eyes wide as they flit over his face.
"We thought you were dead," Robin counsters, ignoring her question. "I thought I'd never see you again..."
His voice has become a mere breath, the words fading in the wind as he steps forward and wraps her in his arms, squeezing tightly and sighing his relief when she squeezes back just as hard.
"I missed you," he hears her say, her voice quivering a little.
"And I, you," he assures, pulling back just far enough to look at her properly, his arms still holding her around the waist like they've always done. Like they belong there, like it hasn't been years since he last held her like this.
Her eyes look wary, hardened by pain and sadness, and she opens her mouth to say something, but they're interrupted by a loud wail, and both turn to look at the man Robin had forgotten was still there. He's removed the arrow now, dumps it on the floor and glares at them.
"You wanna explain what this is about?" he asks, but he's not looking at Robin, he's looking at Regina.
"Right. Sorry. Robin, this is Little John. John, this is Robin, my... my friend."
They're more than that, always have been. But Robin follows her lead.
With a nervous smile, he offers his hand to John, who eyes him suspiciously and looks back at Regina.
"He's not coming with us, is he?" John asks, still not shaking Robin's hand. "He just shot me in the ass!"
"Honest mistake," Robin defends. "I thought you were food."
That makes Regina laugh, even as John glowers at them both.
"You head on, we'll catch up," she tells him. The man scoffs, levels Robin with another nasty look, and then turns around and walks away, his hand rubbing the spot on his buttocks where the arrow had been.
Regina's laughter bubbles up again, and Robin watches her as she jokes, "Can't believe you did that."
"What can I say? The man moved as gracefully as a stag."
She laughs harder at that. "John? Graceful? The guys will have fun with that one."
"Guys?"
"Um, yes," she says, growing a little nervous then. "They call themselves the Merry Men. They, uh, sort of took me in when I arrived here. Taught me how to survive..."
The reality of what's happened to them makes itself known again in that moment, a loaded silence stretching between them as Regina fiddles with the end of her braid.
"I'm sorry I left without telling you," she says then, so softly Robin almost thinks he imagined it.
"Why did you?" he asks, moving to lace his fingers with hers. "I... I thought we were heading somewhere."
"What went on between us—" she starts, but he cuts her off, because he knows what she's about to say, and he won't let her downplay what they had, he won't let her lie.
"Was real," he says adamantly. "My feelings for you were— are real."
She doesn't reply, but sighs when he moves his free hand to cradle her face, leaning into the touch and closing her eyes for a moment.
"I've missed you," she says again. "So much, Robin."
"Not a day has gone by that I haven't wished I could hold you again," he tells her truthfully, his thumb rubbing over her cheek as every memory of their time together comes rushing back like no time ever passed.
Back then, he'd been a lord, with lands and tenants who were hardworking and loyal. But when King Henry died and Regina left, Queen Cora had stripped Robin and his family of all their titles and belongings, dissolved the betrothal, and declared them unwelcome in her castle. He'd been secretly scavenging in the queen's woods to help feed his people ever since, wondering where Regina was, what had happened to her, and hating himself for not being there to protect her.
"I'm sorry," she says. "I'm so sorry for everything."
There are tears in her eyes, beads of moisture brimming and falling down her cheeks and onto his hand. Robin leans in and kisses them away, dotting little pecks on her face until he reaches the corner of her lips.
It's been so long, but he vividly remembers kissing her; under the moonlight, in the rain, by the river, beneath the canopy of a tree they'd decided to climb; he remembers her moans and gasps as they'd explored each other under the stars, the way her skin became flushed and warm as he pressed his thumb over pert nipples, licked a trail down her stomach until he reached that enticing spot between her thighs; remembers how sucking just there made her bury her hand in his hair and pull...
Before he knows it, he's kissing her, or maybe she's kissing him, he doesn't really know, but what does it matter? When he's able to feel the softness of her lips against his once more, hear that delightful moan that stumbles out of her when he deepens the kiss and lets his tongue lick at hers. She smells of grass and wildflowers, the sweetness of it fogging his mind with nothing but thoughts of her, of how beautiful she is, of how much he wants forever with her, even after all this time.
"I loved you, Regina," he says when they part. "I love you still."
She gives him a sad smile, shaking her head. "I've done terrible things, Robin. I left you, I left everyone. I don't deserve love."
Oh, but she's wrong, she's so wrong, because they belong to each other. Always. He's found her again, after giving up hope he ever would, and he's never letting her go.
"I choose you. I'd choose you a thousand times over, no matter what," he insists, sealing that promise with a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose, and she's crying still, but there's a smile on her lips, a genuine one this time.
"What is it?" he asks, curious.
"You being here... I never imagined we'd—" she stops, takes a breath, and settles on, "I just never thought I'd have this," closing her eyes and dipping her head down as his forehead comes to rest on hers.
They have a lot to talk about. Years' worth of gaps to fill in for each other. But to Robin, all that matters is they're here now, and this is true.
He has his soulmate back, and he'll do anything to keep her.